The Portland daily press., 1887-08-24
LoNDoN TELEcRAPHERs.
Conversations with Gibraltar, Alex
andria, Alden and Bombay.

Visitors to London who are searching for
new things to amuse them, should under no
circumstances fail to visit the telegraph de-
partment of the general post office at st.
Martins lie Grande, in CEeapside, writes a
correspondent of the Boston Globe. 1t is one
of the most interesting places in London, yet
comparatively few Americans, and even Eu-
ropeans, ever avail themselves Of the oppor-
tunity of visiting the greatest telegraph Of
fee in the world.
The place is wound round and round with
"red tape" and it usually takes from three to
four days after an application for ticket of
admission has been filed before a reply is re-
ceiyed. Applications should be made to C.
w. b. Patey, assistant postmaster general,
who delegates an official of the telegraph de-
pertinent to show visitors around.
The noise which greets ones ear on enter
ing the first room, or gallery, is peculiar.
Those who have visited the great operating
room Of the Western Union Telegraph Com
pany at 1876 Broadway, New York. will read
lily recall the deafening clatter of the instru-
ments, sounding like musketry in great
battle. The noise one hears in the London
Office is of another character, on account of
the difference in apparatus. 1t rolls toward
you like the grumbling of distant thunder,
then swells into an awe inspiring roar and
settles back again into an ominous moan.
One can scarcely believe ones eyes at the
sight. Here are hundreds upon hundreds
Of old men, young men and boys, old women,
young women and little girls, all busily en-
gagged in the work OF transmitting, receiving
and distributing messages. Not one of them
ic In hay lnAlx inn
sending and receiving as if their life depend
ed upon it, AS far as the eye can reach it
encounters sea of faces. Here and there q
senior clerk, or chief operator, is seen walk
ing up and down the aisles of his division.
keeping watchful eye on his subordinates,
and urging on to renewed efforts the weary
looking check boys and girls who are in
clined to lapse into inactivity.
The operating rooms Of the telegraph de-
partment occupy the entire seventh and
eighth floors of the immense post Office build
ing, and cover superficial area of 1860
square feet. They are divided into five wings
or galleries
The Wheatstone automatic telegraph is
the principle system in vogue here. This
system has lately been used with more or
less success in the United States, but the old
Morse style is PREFER I'd by American opera
tors for numerous reasons, the principal one
being that it requires but little telegraphic
knowledge to become an expert WheatstOne
Yankee operators are shrewd.
The Englishman has perfected his Wheat
stone system to such an extent, however
that the immense amount of telegraphic mat
ter could not possibly be handled without it
on the same number of wires as are in use at
present 1t is quite complicated system,
consisting of perforator, automatic trans
mitter, receiver and seunder. The perfora-
tor, or puncher, is an arrangement of three
fiat keys of steel, resembling piano keys. One
key punches dots, another spaces and the
about one-eighth of an inch wide is placed
under the perforator, the machinery is set in
motion, and as the paper runs through the
perfOrator, the operator, with the aid of two
sticks of wood, one in each hand, punches
the code characters through it. Clickety,
clickety, clickety, click goes the punch with
lightning rapidity, and the young lady with
the two sticks pounding away on the key
board, brings back wildly to ones mind a
suggestion of Mark Twafn'S famous night
mare infliction: